Top UK diplomat says Britain could recognize a Palestinian state before a peace deal with Israel

0
3Кб

Britain’s top diplomat said Thursday that his country could officially recognize a Palestinian state after a cease-fire in Gaza without waiting for the outcome of what could be yearslong talks between Israel and the Palestinians on a two-state solution.

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Cameron, left, shake hands with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. Cameron discussed with Lebanese officials the volatile situation in the Middle East during a stop in Beirut part of a regional tour. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Cameron, left, shake hands with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. Cameron discussed with Lebanese officials the volatile situation in the Middle East during a stop in Beirut part of a regional tour.

Foreign Secretary David Cameron, speaking to The Associated Press during a visit Thursday to Lebanon intended to tamp down regional tensions, said no recognition could come while Hamas remained in Gaza, but that it could take place while Israeli negotiations with Palestinian leaders were continuing.

U.K. recognition of an independent state of Palestine, including in the United Nations, “can’t come at the start of the process, but it doesn’t have to be the very end of the process,” said Cameron, a former British prime minister.

“It could be something that we consider as this process, as this advance to a solution, becomes more real,” Cameron said. “What we need to do is give the Palestinian people a horizon towards a better future, the future of having a state of their own.”

That prospect is “absolutely vital for the long-term peace and security of the region,” he said.

Britain, the U.S. and other Western countries have supported the idea of an independent Palestine existing alongside Israel as a solution to the region’s most intractable conflict, but have said Palestinian independence should come as part of a negotiated settlement. There have been no substantive negotiations since 2009.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for his part, has publicly rejected the creation of an independent Palestinian state after the war, and has even boasted in recent weeks that he was instrumental in preventing Palestinian statehood.

A move by some of Israel’s key allies to recognize a Palestinian state without Israel’s buy-in could isolate Israel and put pressure on it to come to the table.

Cameron said the first step must be a “pause in the fighting” in Gaza that would eventually turn into “a permanent, sustainable cease-fire.”

He added that in order for his country to recognize a Palestinian state, the leaders of the Hamas militant group would need to leave Gaza “because you can’t have a two state solution with Gaza still controlled by the people responsible for Oct. 7,” referring to the deadly Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza.

Hamas has so far taken the position that its leaders would not leave the enclave as part of a cease-fire deal.

Cameron said his country is also proposing a plan to deescalate tensions on the Lebanon-Israel border, where the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israeli forces have been trading fire near-daily for the past four months, sparking fears of a wider war.

The plan would include Britain training Lebanese army forces to carry out more security work in the border region, he said.

Спонсоры
Поиск
Спонсоры
Категории
Больше
News
1st Russian President To Visit Alaska: Why Putin-Trump Meeting In Alaska Is A ‘Big Win’ For Russian Nationalists?
After three-and-a-half years of brutal war, Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to meet...
От Ikeji 2025-08-14 15:19:46 0 789
Networking
South Korea Third-Party Logistics (3PL) Market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of over 9.8% During 2024-2030
The South Korea Third-Party Logistics Market size is valued at around USD 18.5 billion in 2024...
От steveazhar 2024-09-05 15:01:04 0 3Кб
Другое
Glass Recycling Market Forecast: Revenue to Reach $5.24 Bn by 2030
Glass Recycling Market Overview: Maximize Market Research is a Business Consultancy Firm that...
От FMCGTrends 2024-10-17 13:18:42 0 2Кб
Другое
Is AI the Death of SEO or Its Evolution? A 2025 Guide for Smarter Technical SEO
In 2025, digital marketing is facing a major transformation. Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools...
От ManishSingh 2025-05-19 12:52:04 0 1Кб
Другое
Chitosan Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report 2025-2033
Overview of the Chitosan Market: The chitosan market is a rapidly growing segment of the global...
От jamessmithjimmy12 2025-07-15 10:09:40 0 784
Спонсоры
google-site-verification: google037b30823fc02426.html